Byas Blazing Her
Trail in Softball
By Andy Collier, Sports Editor, The Bolivar Bullet
Cleveland resident Kailyn Byas has been on the move and on the go playing the sport she loves which is softball.
The 17-year-old pitcher has been all over the country this season playing for the Unity 18U National Betsa Herbert team out of Texas. Unity traveled to Orland, Park IL, which is a suburb of Chicago, to play in the Easton Rawlings Invitational on July 11-13. As of press time, Byas was in Huntington Beach, Calif. as Unity was playing in the Premier Girls Fastpitch Nationals to wrap up the season. The first game of that tournament began on Saturday (July 20).
The young flame thrower has racked up her share of miles taking her game on the road.
“This season we’ve been to Florida, Houston, Kansas City, Georgia, and we have our last tournament in California,” said Byas.
Byas has been playing travel and showcase softball for the last six years. When Byas was younger, she participated in multiple activities. Softball was a sport that Byas has always been around as she watched her older sister Laila Byas suit up to play.
“I used to do gymnastics,” said Kailyn Byas. “I was on a competition gymnastics team. I would go to my gymnastics meets, and my sister would go play softball. I always loved practicing softball with my sister, and I also did dance and other sports to distract me. I quit dancing, gymnastics and cheer just to play softball I loved playing softball. I practiced everyday, and it was just my passion.”
Early in Kailyn Byas’ career, she got a chance to play in the same travel organization as Laila Byas, which was Vexus located in Tupelo. Laila Byas would eventually play college softball at Williams Baptist University in Walnut Ridge, Ark.
“I always traveled with my sister when I was younger,” said Kailyn Byas. “I was in 14U and she was in 18U. We sometimes played at the same tournaments. It was fun to get to watch the older girls and have my sister come and watch me play. I really looked up to them being older and being committed to play college softball.”
As the years have progressed, Kailyn Byas has worked hard to master her skills through out the course of her life. Byas has been getting pitching lessons from Meredith Swindle in Madison since she was 11-years-old. Swindle pitched for Division I Stetson University from 2011-14 where she was an All-American. Swindle was inducted into the Stetson Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
Byas has strengthened her arm as the velocity of her pitches have consistently ranged between 65-68 miles per hour with the drop ball being her fastest pitch. She’s also developed great movement and accuracy on her pitches.
Swindle said Byas’ skills improve with each lesson.
“When she comes to me, we don’t focus on her velocity,” said Swindle. “We focus on getting stronger in her pitch which creates velocity. We focus on proper mechanics which also gives her velocity, but I don’t sit there with a radar gun and clock her. It ultimately boils down to who can get people out when it comes to getting mound time. We work on just getting people out, and she’s incredible at doing that.”
Swindle said Byas’ assortment of pitches have been increasing during her career.
“We worked for two or three years on just being able to control her fastball and putting it where she wanted it,” said Swindle. “After that, we learned the drop ball and that’s what she’s really excelled at. She uses her drop ball and her drop change intermittently. We’ve had to work more on her drop change. Because she can throw the ball so hard, it’s always more challenging throwing something low. She’ll still throw a fastball in a game when she needs it and get people out, which not a lot of girls can do at that level. We’ve been developing a rise ball the last couple of years. That pitch is more challenging. It’s there, but we’re working on building the confidence for her to throw it through out the game.”
One thing that has been key for Byas this year is the fact she has hasn’t labored in many innings.
“This year, I feel like I’ve done a really good job at keeping my pitch count low,” said Byas. “I’m trying to keep myself healthy and keep my pitch count low so I can pitch more games.”
The tournaments Unity has played in has put Byas against some of the best softball players in the country in her age group.
“We’ve been playing against girls that have committed to colleges like Georgia, the University of Pittsburgh and other places like that,” said Byas. “We’ve competed well, and we’re top 10 in a lot of our tournaments. So far, it’s been a good season.”
The steady travel and challenging schedule has allowed Byas to get noticed as she’s made a verbal commitment to Division I Longwood University in Farmville, Va. Longwood has won the Big South Conference Tournament four times.
Byas, who is entering her senior year as a student at Bayou Academy, felt good about Longwood and the community when she made her decision.
“I really like the town that they’re in,” said Byas. “It’s a little bigger than Cleveland. I really like the small town feel. Their schedule is very competitive, and they’ve won their conference a few times. I really like the coach. She’s from Georgia and just having somebody from the south just feels very welcoming.”
To go with her work on the field, Byas also conducts pitching lessons in Cleveland. Byas gets a thrill out of helping young players get better.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Byas. “I just want to grow the game of softball. I want to show them if you have a great foundation and are consistent with your practices, you will get better and learn life lessons along the way.”
Swindle said there’s more to Byas than just her talent.
“She’s a superior athlete, but that’s not really what has separated her or put her in the position to have the opportunities she’s been given,” said Swindle. “She’s such an incredible worker. She’s just devoted to her craft. If she comes to lessons and something is a little bit off that day, I know she’s going to go home and work on it. By her next lesson a week later, it’s fixed if she doesn’t fix it in her lesson. Even if she does fix it in her lesson, she’ll still go home and work on it and make sure it’s absolutely perfect. The love for the craft is something that I’ve always admired in her.”